News
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
In a Friday, April 25, 2008 editorial, the Express Times (covering Warren County, New Jersey) wrote favorably about the NJLP's Open Government Advocacy Project's work.
Officials should know laws about open government
Friday, April 25, 2008Shining a light
Most elected officials in New Jersey cringe when John Paff shows up at public meetings. He's been hop-scotching across the state pointing out the subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which municipalities and school boards fail the public when it comes to open government. ...
Read the entire story HERE
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- Written by: Jay Boucher
- Category: Latest News
Former Congressman Bob Barr recently appeared on Fox's Hannity & Colmes. At about 3:20 into the clip below, Hannity asks, "Would you vote to legalize heroin and crack?" Barr, agitated by the question, answered, "No, I would not vote to legalize heroin and crack!"
Undoubtedly, Barr supporters will say it is because Barr wants to focus on the bigger issue of getting the federal government out of the drug war. Hopefully, Barr opponents will see that the bigger issue is that Barr has not fully embraced the non-initiation of force principle of the Libertarian Party.
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- Written by: Rich Goldman
- Category: Latest News
Libertarians and liberty lovers of all stripes will gather in Gilford, New Hampshire in June for the 5th annual Porcupine Freedom (and Music) Festival (aka PorcFest).
As the premier event of the Free State Project (FSP), PorcFest welcomes pro-liberty activists from across the nation to see why New Hampshire was selected by FSP’s membership to be the destination for those who are willing to work effectively in a concentrated effort towards “Liberty in Our Lifetime.”
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
This article appeared in the Express Times about the NJLP's effort to get Washington Borough in Warren County to: a) give the public more detailed reasons why it goes into closed session and b) to advertise the amounts of its no-bid contract awards.
You can read my letters to the Borough HERE and HERE.
Open-records activist targets Washington
Borough urged to give specific reasons for closed sessions.Wednesday, April 23, 2008By LYNN OLANOFFThe Express-TimesWASHINGTON | A state advocate for open public records who last year raised questions about Washington Township's closed-session policies is raising similar questions in the borough.
John Paff, chairman of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy ...
Read the full article on the Express Times website.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
The LP convention is coming up quickly. On May 22-26th, delegates from each state shall be meeting to decide the future direction of the National Libertarian Party. On Saturday there will be a debate between "qualified" candidates and then the delegates shall select our Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees.
At this time only three candidates have qualified for the debate! It would be a travesty if the debate only featured Root, Imperato, and Jingozian. Visit Liberty Decides, donate to your choice of candidate and ensure that there is a real debate. See Delegation FAQ #35 for explanation of "qualifying."
Also let us know who your favorite is by commenting in the forum and voting in our poll. Our delegates want to know how you feel.
UPDATE: I don't think the original striken out text is correct. It came from the Delegation FAQ #35, however the Chair's Manual page 15 states that qualification shall be based on collecting "signature tokens" from the delegates.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
In response to a letter from the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project, the Borough of Elmer (Salem County) has agreed to make itself more transparent.
First, the Borough has placed its Open Public Records Act request form on its Internet site. Previously, the only way to get the request form was to request it from the Borough Clerk. This could inconvenience the public and delay citizens' requests.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
“People’s freedom is more important than giving government easy tools to enforce order.” New Jersey Libertarian Party quote.
Lyndhurst may lift ban on loitering
By Susan C. Moeller
Senior ReporterLYNDHURST (April 17, 2008) — At its April 8 meeting, the board of commissioners took the first step toward eliminating the township’s anti-loitering ordinance, a move that will bring Lyndhurst into compliance with state and federal court judicial opinions.
John Paff, of the New Jersey Libertarian Party, brought the outdated ordinance to the attention of the commission, and the commission, in turn, acted on Paff’s concerns.
Read the rest of the article on the paper's website
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- Written by: Sean Colon
- Category: Latest News
We will be submitting a list of delegates for the national convention next week. If anyone is interested in becoming a delegate for the national convention please email me at
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
On April 2, 2008, the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project wrote to Watchung Borough in Somerset County regarding four areas where the Borough wasn't compliant with the Open Public Meetings Act. On April 10, 2008, the Council, in response to the Libertarian Party's April 2, 2008 letter, passed the resolution pasted below.
The Borough Council is promising to do a better job providing the public with:
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
On Monday, April 7, 2008, the Appellate Division issued a Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) decision in Mountain Hill LLC v. Middletown and then on March 31, 2008, the Appellate Division's decided an Open Public Records Act (OPRA case) in Mason v. Hoboken.
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- Written by: Sean Colon
- Category: NJ Libertarian Blog
Andy Unanue is dropping out and being replaced by Dick Zimmer, a former Republican Congressman who currently works in DC as a lawyer and lobbyist. Is a DC lawyer/lobbyist what we are looking for in a candidate. No. That kind of record doesn't exactly scream "reformer". He got beat out by Rush Holt about a decade ago while under fire for some suspicious activities.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
So far, the NJLP's Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project has successfully effected repeal of loitering ordinances in six towns across New Jersey. Those municipalities are: Butler Borough (Morris County), Elmwood Park Borough (Bergen County), Flemington Borough (Hunterdon County), Highland Park Borough (Middlesex County), Manasquan Borough (Monmouth County) and West Milford Township (Passaic County).
More information on the Project is available on-line at the LP of Central NJ Loitering Web Page
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Latest News
The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) just released its rating of the 1st session of the 110th Congress. Meanwhile Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has released its Pig Book.
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- Written by: Sean Colon
- Category: NJ Libertarian Blog
Atlantic City is currently trying to pass an ordinance that would limit smoking in casinos to smoking lounges where there can't be any slot machines or gambling tables. Right now a compromise exists between the city and the casinos where no more than 25% of the casino floor can allow smoking. Many vices exist under the same roof in the casino and somehow smoking is seen as the worst of them.
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- Written by: Sean Colon
- Category: NJ Libertarian Blog
In NJ where the subsidized health care system is riddled with holes and workers' compensation is managed by incompetent jurists; the huge bureaucracy that is the NJ state government is now supposed to take responsibility for another program which will inevitably be riddled with holes and bogged down by incompetence and laziness.
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- Written by: Sean Colon
- Category: NJ Libertarian Blog
I saw a dirty white jeep pull over another car for speeding. Two men wearing black shirts with "Police" in white lettering across the front and back step out and walk over to the other car and get his license and registration. When I first saw the white jeep I was thinking to myself "This can't be an undercover cop." I was probably wrong but the risk is still there.
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- Written by: Sean Colon
- Category: NJ Libertarian Blog
The North Carolina Libertarian Party has collected approximately 102,500. North Carolina requires 69,734 for ballot access for the presidential election. If the petition is found to be valid then this will be the largest numerical ballot access hurdle that any new or minor party has overcome since 1995, when the Reform Party and the Natural Law Party both complied with California?s requirement of 89,007 registrations.
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- Written by: Sean Colon
- Category: NJ Libertarian Blog
Since former Congressman Bob Barr has announced that he has going to run for President, two Libertarian candidates have dropped out to endorse him, Bob Jackson and Daniel Williams. Former Senator Mike Gravel is also running for the Libertarian nomination for president. With the entrance of Bob Barr into the race there has been a shake up among the candidates.
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- Written by: Sean Colon
- Category: Policy News
I have been searching the NJ Legislative web site and found that they list all the bills currently in committee. I sifted through some of them and found a few I liked and more than a few I didn't like. One bill, S784, raises minimum wage to $8.50, then makes annual adjustments based on increases in the Statewide average weekly wage.